Commutator-brush



(No Model.)

I G. J. VAN DEPOELE.

GOMMUTATORBRUSH.

Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMMUTATOR-BRUSH.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,074, dated November2, 1886.

Application filed February 20, 1886. Serial No. 192,090. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CommutatorBrushsfor Dynamo-Electric Machines, of which the following is a description.

The present invention relates to improvements in commutator-brushes forelectric generators or motors, and is an improvement on the brush shownand described in Letters Patent No. 291,650, granted to me January8,18%, the details whereof will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in elevation of a motorprovided with my improved commutator-brush. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the brush. Fig. 8 illustrates a modification thereof.

Similar letters denote like parts throughout.

The brushes previously used by me in holders mounted and moving at rightangles to the axis of the commutator upon which they bear are eitherformed of a bunch of copper wires or of a number of leaves or layersofthin sheetcopper, soldered together at their outer end only, andspring-pressed against the face of the commutator. I find that withcontinued use it frequently happens that portions of the strips or wiresbecome fused together by the sparks between the surfaces in movingcontact, forming solid and comparatively hard places,which wear thesurface of the commutator unevenly.

As indicated in Fig. 2, my improved commutator-brush is constructed ofalternate layers of thin sheet-copper and paper, the upper end of thecopper strips being united by soldering, riveting, or in any othersuitable manner.

In the drawings, A is a motor, of which 13 is the commutator.

O is a movable yoke, rotating upon the same axis as the commutator, andcarrying the metallic box-shaped brush-holders D. The yoke is alsoprovided with a handle, E, by means of which it can be readily movedupon its axis to any desired position. 1

F F represent the commutator brushes, which are placed within the boxesD and I sired shape.

pressed endwise against the commutator by adjustable springs d, actingupon a follower, 6, bearing against the outer ends of the brushes, andby means of which the wear of the brushes is compensated for, or theirpressure upon the commutator adjusted. The brushes themselves arecomposed of thin copper strips G, alternating with strips of paper H,which are assembled. upon removable pins f, and then permanentlysecured, together by soldering the upper ends of all the copper strips,as indicated at I, or by the retention of one or more of the pins orrivets f.

The brush, as shown, is formed of laminae of paper and copper placed,preferably, transversely of the axis of the commutator, although it willbe obvious that for some purposes it might-be convenient to arrange thelaminze in the opposite direction. Imay also construct the brush of anumber of straight wires soldered or otherwise secured at their upperends, this form being shown in crosssection in Fig. 3. In this case,also, the paper may be used and put between the layers of wire,although, if preferred, it may be dissolved and in the form of pulpintermingled with the wires in a mold or form of the de- The insulatingeffect of paper is no objection to its use in this connection, becausethe ends bearing upon the commutator will usually be so covered withmetallic powder as not to materially increase the resistance, and thecomparatively refractory nature of the paper itself enables it to resistthe de structive effects ofthe sparks and not burn away in advance ofthe wear of the metal.

The paper or other material interposed between strips should not beshellacked nor contain any gummy matter. Blotting-paper can be moistenedand then covered with ground soapstone. The soapstone will keep thecommutator and brushes clean and polished, and said soapstone acts as alubricant to the commutator and brushes, and, being dry and aninsulator, does not stick between the sections, as oil or other greasymatter does, and on that account I find it extremely valuable and usefulfor the present purpose.

The herein-described brushneed not always be at right angles to thecommutator, as herein shown and described, for when the commutatorrotates in one direction only, whether in a motor or a generator, it canbe mounted in an inclined position, asin ordinary dynamo-electricgenerators.

I do not desire to limit myself to the use of paper to prevent theadhesion of the metallic portions of a commutator-brush, as there aremany other substances that will answer the purpose-as, for instance,mica, vulcanized fiber, asbestus cloth, and, in fact, almost anynon-metallic and comparatively refractory material.

Havingdescribed myinventiomwhatl claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A commutator-brush consisting of alternate layers or strips of copperand a non-metallic substance, said layers being all arrangedtransversely of the axis of the commutatorcylinder, and therebyinterposing their mint mum resistance to the passage of the current ascollected, substantially as shown and described.

2. A commutator-brush consisting of alternate layers or strips of thinsheet-copper or its described equivalent, and a comparatively refractorynon-metallic substance, said layers being all arranged transversely ofthe axis of the cominutator-cylinder, and thereby interposing theirminimum resistance to the passage of the current as collected,substantially as shown and described.

3. A commutator-brush consisting of alternate layers of thinsheet-copper and paper, said layers being all arranged transversely ofthe axis of the commutator cylinder, and thereby interposing theirminimum resistance to the passage of the current as collected,substantially as shown and described.

4. A commutator-brush consisting of alternate layers of thin copper orits described equivalent, and a comparatively refractory non-metallicsubstance coated with powdered soapstone, substantially as described.

5. A commutator-brush consisting of alternate layers of thinsheet-copper and paper coated with powdered soapstone, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination, with an electric motor or generator having suitablearmature and rotating cornmutator-cylinder, of a commutatorbrushtherefor consisting of alternate layers or strips of thin sheet-copperand a comparatively refractory non-metallic substance, said layers beingall arranged transversely of the axis of the commutator-cylinder,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Witnesses:

LUcIUs CLARK, EvERELL D. SrrLns.

